Jesus told his disciples to go a great way into the country, and he said, I will come and see you again. So the disciples went away from Jerusalem, and they went into the country. They came to the place where they had once lived, by the water side. They had some ships on the water, and they used to catch fish when they were in the ships.

One night Peter said to the disciples, I shall go and fish; and the disciples said, We will go with you. So they got into a ship, and all night long they tried to catch fish, but they could not catch any.

In the morning they were tired and hungry. They looked up, and saw a man standing near the water side. They did not know who the man was.

The man called out to them and said, Children, have you anything to eat?

The poor disciples said, No; for they had caught no fish all night.

The man said, Let down your net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find some fish.

They did as the man told them, and they caught such a number of fishes in the net, that they could hardly lift it out of the water.

Now John found out who the man was: he said to Peter, It is the Lord.

Peter was very glad, and he jumped into the water, and swam first to Jesus. The other disciples came soon after in their little ship, with their nets and their fishes. Jesus knew that they were tired and hungry. By the water side there was a fire, and some fish on the fire, and some bread. How kind it was of Jesus to give some food to his poor hungry disciples!

Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fishes that you have caught. So Peter went and took up the net and found it full of great fishes: one hundred and fifty-three.

This was a great miracle that Jesus had done. Then said Jesus to the disciples, Come and dine. So they all sat down to dine together. Then Jesus took the bread, and gave some to each; and he took the fish, and gave some of it to each.

Now the disciples were quite sure that it was Jesus who was feeding them. This was the way they used to dine together before Jesus had died. Now he was alive, they dined together again: but they knew he was not going to stay long with them.

When they had all finished eating, Jesus said to Peter, Do you love me?

Peter said, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.

Then Jesus said, Feed my lambs, (that is, Teach other people to love me. Go and tell people about my dying for them).

You, my little children, are Christ’s lambs, and I feed you when I talk to you about Christ. I feed your souls, and the food is the love of Jesus.

Peter did love Jesus, and Jesus knew he did. Yet Jesus said again, Do you love me? Peter said again, Lord, you know I love you. Then Jesus said, Feed my sheep.

Jesus asked Peter once more the same thing, Do you love me?

Peter was afraid Jesus did not believe him, and this made him sorry. He said, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.

Jesus said again, Feed my sheep.

If Peter loved Jesus he would do what Jesus bade him, and go and teach people.

Do you love Jesus, my little children? What would you answer if Jesus said to you, Do you love me? Could you say to Jesus, Look into my heart, and you will see that I love you? If you do really love him, you will hate lies and passions, and you will try to be kind and gentle, and to please Jesus all the day.

Why did Jesus ask Peter so often whether he loved him? Why did he ask him three times over?

Peter had said he did not know Jesus three times over. So Jesus wanted to hear him say he loved him three times over.

Then Jesus told Peter what would happen to him when he was old. Jesus said to Peter, When you were young, you walked about where you liked; but when you are old some men will take you, and stretch out your hands, and carry you where you do not like to go.

Jesus meant that Peter would be crucified; men would stretch out his hands on a cross, and nail him as they had done Jesus. Wicked people would crucify Peter because he loved Jesus; but Peter would never say again that he did not know Jesus.

Peter was not proud now as he used to be. And Peter would pray to God to keep him from sin.